


coffee

by rexflame



Series: Inazuma Coffeeshop AU [1]
Category: Inazuma Eleven, Inazuma Eleven GO
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Ambiguous Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:37:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rexflame/pseuds/rexflame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>he hadn’t really intended to fall in love while working a summer job as a barista, but it was all good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	coffee

**Author's Note:**

> okay what the hell even is this. quick warning, everyone is probably pretty damn ooc. the ship is weird but i promise it sort of works in this au, roll with me here.

He has to admit, being a barista is not the worst job he’s ever had.

Well, okay, he’s only eighteen, and he hasn’t had that many jobs. But the coffeeshop he works at is nice, pretty quiet, and it has a comfortable atmosphere. The hours aren’t horrible, either, although he admits six in the morning is a bit early for anyone. The light barely cuts through his blinds at that time, but somehow he manages to stumble out the door every morning at five-forty-five and make the walk to the store with five minutes to spare.

It’s one of those days today, arriving five minutes before any of his coworkers. It gives him extra time to comb through his pink locks, make sure he looks decent, and tie his apron just as Shindou comes through the door at exactly six. 

"Morning, " he greets his coworker blearily as he sets up napkins and straws and sugar and other items on the counter.

"Good morning, Kirino," he gets in reply; the other inclines his head slightly and then makes a beeline for the worn-out old grand piano sitting in the corner of the coffeeshop. 

So today is one of those days, Kirino thinks as he turns the sign on the door to say “open”; a day where Shindou wouldn’t help with orders, and instead play piano to entertain the customers. Admittedly, they got more service on those days, but it was still annoying to handle most of the orders with not much help (at least, until the others came in at noon).

The notes of a piano ring through the room as the pink-haired boy grabs a broom and begins sweeping up the floor behind the counter while he waits for customers to show up. Honestly, he thought he told Tenma to stop dropping wrappers on the floor since there was a trash can /right there/. His sweeping is interrupted by the ringing of a little bell that signifies someone stepping inside the shop. 

He shoves the broom back up against the wall and turns to the counter, where an unfamiliar man stands. Usually, he recognizes all the customers. They don’t change up much, really; it’s a small shop, and he can usually predict who will show up and when. But this teal-haired man, one of his eyes shrouded by hair, hand pressed to his chin in thought, is a mystery. His own blue eyes watch the other intently for a moment, and then another moment, and eventually he finds himself drumming his fingers against the counter, wondering if the other is going to order. The piano notes in the background cease and Shindou leans back from his seat, looking intently at the stranger as well.

"Are you going to order?" Kirino finally asks impatiently, hoping he doesn’t come off as rude. 

"Ah, sorry!"

A frantic look overtakes the strange man’s face, a slight embarrassed flush covering his cheeks.

"Can I have a black coffee?"

"Black?" 

He raises an eyebrow at that. He finds black coffee, quite honestly, to be disgusting. A confused look takes over the other’s face; did he say something wrong? With a dismissive wave of his hand, he goes to prepare the drink, making small talk all the while even as Shindou resumes his playing.

"I’ve never seen you around this shop before."

"Do you know every customer?" the stranger asks, sounding more surprised than sarcastic. It’s a legitimate question, he realizes.

"There’s not many," the barista replies as he pours the piping-hot coffee into a cup, praying he doesn’t accidentally drop the coffeepot, somehow.

"Here."

Kirino slides the coffee over the counter to the older male, who reaches for his wallet.

"That’ll be $2.50, Mister…"

He leaves the sentence unfinished, waiting for the other to offer his name.

"Kazemaru. Kazemaru Ichirouta," the other-Kazemaru-replies.

"I’m Kirino Ranmaru. It’s nice to meet you," he responds in turn, the best smile he can muster up this early in the morning plastered on his face.

He’s not sure why he introduces himself, but he just has the feeling that he’ll see the other again.

It turns out, he’s right.

The next morning, at exactly six-fifteen, Kazemaru comes through the door again and orders the exact same drink. Shindou goes to take the order, but something compels him to tell his fellow barista that he’ll take care of it. Eventually, it becomes a routine; he starts to put a pot of coffee on at six-ten, so he can have it ready by the time that the blue-haired man shows up.

The more Kazemaru shows up, the more he learns about him; they’ll stand, chatting, while Kirino leans against the counter, head propped in his hands, and Kazemaru leans against it casually, a broad grin on his face as he talks about college and soccer and track. He’s twenty-two, going for a major in Theatre Arts, and his favorite color is blue.

"Like the ocean," he says one time, twirling his ponytail around his free hand as Kirino watches.

"Not like my hair."

Their eyes meet for a moment, and a sort of bashful look forms on Kazemaru’s face.

"Like your eyes, actually."

A surprised flush covers Kirino’s face, then, and in the corner of his eye he can see Shidou watching with a sort of sly look on his face, entirely unbefitting of the regal air he carries. 

After that time, once Kazemaru has left, he’s a fumbling mess and nearly spills scalding coffee on himself twice before Shindou stops him from taking any more orders with a firm tone. He forgets the incident within a couple hours, and he isn’t reminded of it until lunch break.

The sign on the store is flipped to say “closed”, and the four of them (the four of them being Tenma, Shindou, Tsurugi and himself) are sitting around a table. It’s a normal occurrence, completely normal until somehow their conversation reaches a sort of childish subject of ”crushes”.

"We’re seventeen. We don’t have crushes,” Tsurugi says flatly, his feet propped on the table (which earns him many a glare from Shindou). Kirino doesn’t bother to correct him that two of them are eighteen. 

"I bet you’re just saying that because you like someone," Tenma replies in an entirely innocent and overly childish tone.

"Hmph," is the only reply that garners.

"What about you, Kirino?"

"Huh? Me?" 

The pink haired boy gestures to himself, a look of surprise on his face. Does he have a “crush”? No, of course not! He opens his mouth to say just that when the moment from earlier returns to his mind and a blush overtakes his face as he closes his mouth, looking away from Tenma’s gaze.

"Aha, you do!"

"I d-do not!" he splutters in reply, shooting a glance at Shindou as if pleading for his friend to defend him. He is met with a shrug and a slow shake of the head as if saying no, I can’t defend you when I know you do.

"Well, what about you, Tenma?” 

It’s a desperate counter. He sees Tenma’s eyes flit over to Tsurugi for a half a second, and then he replies with his usual bizarre grin and a “Nope!”

"So, who is it you like?" Shindou of all people asks, and Kirino feels betrayed. He’s saved from having to answer by the sound of a knock on the door, and quick glance at the clock reveals that, shit, their lunch break should’ve ended fifteen minutes ago. Quickly, he gets up, flips the sign to open, and unlocks the door. 

He is surprised at who steps inside.

"Kazemaru!"

"Hello, Kirino," the other greets, shutting the door.

"I didn’t have any afternoon classes today, so I thought I’d stop by!"

The pink-haired boy is torn between hating the other and utterly loving him right now. On one hand, he’ll never escape teasing now. On the other hand, it is nice to see his “crush”.

"Who’re your friends?"

Oh, right. He’s never seen Tenma or Tsurugi before.

"That’s Matsukaze Tenma," he says, pointing to the brunet who smiles and waves.

"… and that’s Tsurugi Kyosuke."

The dark-haired boy lets out an irate grunt.

"I’m Kazemaru Ichirouta," the golden-eyed man says to the two.

"It’s nice to meet you, Matsukaze, Tsurugi."

Another ‘hmph’ from Tsurugi and a “Nice to meet you, too!” from Tenma close off the conversation.

"Hey, Kirino, do you think you could get off the job for a few minutes? There’s something I’d like to show you," Kazemaru says quickly, an endearing, excited look in his eyes.

A surprised look forms on his face; he turns his head, and his eyes look with Shindou’s. The other boy gives him a nod and is that a smile- he shakes his head, unties his apron, and drops it on a hook as he heads behind the counter. In the back room, he quickly changes between his black uniform-esque shirt and his casual green one, and then steps back out of the room, hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants.

"Let’s go."

He follows Kazemaru out of the coffeeshop, and they walk in silence for a few minutes, hands dangling dangerously close but not quite touching. The further they walk, the more he wonders where they’re going; his question is answered when he sees a tall steel tower. Steel Tower Plaza, huh?

"Come with me," the older male says, grabbing Kirino’s hand and dragging him along to the plaza. 

There’s a tire hanging from a tree, there, looking worn by age and weather and people. He wonders who put it there; he doesn’t get a chance to stop and look, though. Before he knows it, they’re standing beside the ladder up to the ledge of the tower. When they stop, they both realize, suddenly, that they’re holding hands, and a flush covers both their faces as Kirino stuffs his hand back into his pocket, embarrassed.

"It’s up there," his companion instructs, and the pink-haired boy stares at the ladder. It’s high up.

"I’ll be right behind you."

The words are comforting, and with that he climbs. For a few minutes, they are silent, until they reach the top. The ledge feels surprisingly steady, and he finds himself hesitantly drawn to the railing; his hands perch hesitantly on the metal rail and he stares out, looking over the city. Beside him, Kazemaru folds his arms and leans against the railing.

"Amazing, isn’t it?"

"Yeah," he replies breathlessly. 

"This is where my friend used to train."

"Friend?"

"His name’s Endou Mamoru."

"Oh, I know him! He comes in for coffee, sometimes; he always says he doesn’t like it, though, and puts a ton of sugar in it. I think he only comes because his friends."

A laugh escapes Kazemaru’s lips at that.

"That sounds like him, all right," he says with a small smile that makes Kirino’s heart skip a beat. The wind gusts through their hair, tangling his pink locks and the other’s teal ones.

"He used to come up here whenever he was worried. He’d always say it relaxed him."

"It’s nice," he says in accordance.

"It makes me feel like I could do anything."

There’s a momentary pause between those words and the moment when he turns and puts his hand on Kazemaru’s shoulder, leans over, and presses his lips to the other’s cheek. The movement is quick but fluid, and after it both of their faces are flushed. There’s a surprised look on the blue-haired boy’s face as his mouth opens, closes, and then opens again.

"So, wait, does this mean-"

"Yeah."

Kirino cuts him off before he can finish his sentence, eyes turned away. He already knows what he’s going to ask. What he doesn’t expect to get in reply is a laugh, happy and clear; a hand ruffles his hair, and then lips press to his forehead.

"Me too!"

There’s a huge grin on Kazemaru’s face that reminds him of exactly why he developed these feelings in the first place. Just then, Kirino’s phone buzzes, rather loudly, ruining the moment. Quickly, he pulls out the device from his pocket.

"1 new text from Shindou

2 new texts from Tenma”

He unlocks his phone and peruses the messages.

"Shindou: So, are you two together now?"

"Tenma: oh so was he the guy u like??11?

Tenma: are u 2 gonna date??”

A frustrated noise slips past his lips as the flush on his face grows bigger. 

"What is it?" Kazemaru asks, and the blue eyed male doesn’t respond, just turns his phone towards him. Another laugh escapes his lips after he’s read the texts.

"You’re cute."

"S-shut up!"

"We should stay to watch the sunset," the older boy muses.

"…yeah," he replies with a sort of dreamy grin on his face.

"Let’s."

They sit their backs up against the metal of the tower, the smaller boy’s head resting on the other’s shoulder, basking in each other’s warmth and the rays of the sun as it moves over the sky.

Becoming a barista is definitely the best job choice he’s made.


End file.
